Fuchsia plant named ‘Goetzimpro’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Fuchsia  plant named ‘Goetzimpro’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly arching growth habit; freely branching plant habit; light and darker pink-colored flowers; early and freely flowering habit; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Fuchsia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GOETZIMPRO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia, botanically known as Fuchsia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Goetzimpro’.

The new Fuchsia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Herbrechtingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Fuchsia cultivars that flower early and have good garden performance.

The new Fuchsia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2000 in Herbrechtingen, Germany of a proprietary selection of Fuchsia×hybrida identified as code number 58/97, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Fuchsia×hybrida cultivar Goetzrose, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,492, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Fuchsia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Herbrechtingen, Germany in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Fuchsia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Herbrechtingen, Germany since the autumn of 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Fuchsia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Goetzimpro has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Goetzimpro’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Goetzimpro’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly arching growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching plant habit.     -   3. Light and darker pink-colored flowers.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Fuchsia differ primarily from plants of the female patent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Fuchsia have smaller leaves than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia flower earlier than plants of the         female parent selection.

Plants of the new Fuchsia differ primarily from plants of the male patent, the cultivar Goetzrose, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more compact than plants of the         cultivar Goetzrose.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia flower earlier than plants of the         cultivar Goetzrose.     -   3. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more weather-tolerant than         plants of the cultivar Goetzrose.

Plants of the new Fuchsia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kiecandiro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,410. Plants of the new Fuchsia and the cultivar Kiecandiro differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the newFuchsia are more compact than plants of the         cultivar Kiecandiro.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia are not as upright as plants of the         cultivar Kiecandiro.     -   3. Plants of the new Fuchsia and the cultivar Kiecandiro differ         in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Fuchsia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Fuchsia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Goetzimpro’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up of a typical flowering stem of ‘Goetzimpro’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., under commercial practice during the spring and early summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 16° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 13° C. to 21° C. Plants were grown for about 18 weeks in 15-cm containers and were pinched. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Fuchsia×hybrida cultivar Goetzimpro. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Fuchsia×hybrida identified as code number 58/97, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Fuchsia×hybrida cultivar Goetzrose,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,492. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two to three weeks.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About six             weeks.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About eight             weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; white to light brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Initially upright, then outwardly             spreading; compact plant habit; rounded in overall shape.             Freely branching; about six to seven primary branches per             plant. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 16 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly arching.         -   Texture.—Pubescent; minute hairs.         -   Color, young.—146C.         -   Color, mature.—177A to 177B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse to slightly attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire with irregular shallow points.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 147A; venation, 146A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 146A; venation, 182B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; minute hairs.             Color, upper surface: 199C. Color, lower surface: 174C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single bi-colored axillary             flowers. Flowers initially upright and then pendulous.             Flowers not fragrant. Freely flowering habit with typically             about 70 open flowers and flower buds per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—In southern California, plants             flower from early spring to fall; flowering continuous             during this period. Plants begin flowering about four to six             weeks after planting. Flowers last about five to six days on             the plant. Flowers not persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.7 cm; corolla diameter, about 1 cm.         -   Flower height.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Elliptic. Length: About 3.2 cm.             Diameter: About 1.1 cm. Color: 157C tinted with 56B.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Four in a single whorl. Length: About             1.4 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: 85D. Fully opened, upper surface: 155A.             Fully opened, lower surface: 155C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Calyx star-shaped with four sepals             fused at the base. Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 7 mm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 158C tinted             with 56B to 56C. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: 55B to 55C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° to 60° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent; minute hairs. Color: 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Eight per flower.             Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: 158C. Anther             shape: Oval. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther color:             177A. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color: 164B. Pistils:             Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 5 cm. Style             length: About 4.2 cm. Style color: 56D. Stigma shape: Oval.             Stigma color: 160B. Ovary color: 146C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Fuchsia. -   Garden performance. —Plants of the new Fuchsia have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about 10° C. to about 32° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Fuchsia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Fuchsia. 

1. A new and distinct Fuchsia plant named ‘Goetzimpro’ as illustrated and described. 